Marlatt, Strauss and Bright are district champs

ALSO: Tieara Norman excels for Milwaukie, winning three events

Putnam had four champions at the Northwest Oregon Conference track and field championships, held May 14-15 at Sandy High School.

Putnam senior Bryan Marlatt headed up the effort, qualifying for state in three events. The Kingsmen standout won a heated battle in the long jump, where three jumpers finished within 1-1/4 inches of one another. His winning mark was 21-7-1/4. Milwaukie senior Dante Meade leaped 21-6 and finished third.

Marlatt also qualified for state in the high jump, where he cleared 6-4 and finished runner-up to Sherwood junior Ben Milligan, who cleared 6-9.

And Marlatt teamed up with Putnam juniors Branon Culp and Dallas Schroder and Putnam sophomore Jacob Hamilton for a 44.20 clocking and a runaway win in the 4x100-meter relay.

Putnam senior Tyler Strauss raced to career-best 11.15 clocking for first place in the boys 100-meter dash, and Putnam freshman Audrey Bright cleared a personal best of 9-9 for the best mark in the girls pole vault.

Milwaukie had a triple winner in sophomore Tieara Norman, who won the low hurdles in a career-best time of 45.40, the high hurdles with an effort of 15.38, and the long jump with an effort of 17-0-1/2.

Heading into the state meet, Norman has the states best mark for 5A in the low hurdles, the second-best mark in the high hurdles (15.35) and the second-best mark in the long jump (17-6-1/2).

Dante Meade struggled with getting his approach down down in the horizontal jumps all through the district meet, but he got one good jump in in the triple jump and won that event, at 43-0-1/4.

Dante had three jumps over 23 feet in the long jump, but he scratched on all three, said Milwaukie boys track coach Chuck Nott. His only decent jump in the triple jump was on his last jump. It moved him up from fifth place to first place and gained him a return trip to state. Everyone there agreed that he was the best long jumper at our district, but it doesnt matter if you cant do it without scratching.

Dantes brother, sophomore Devin Meade, joined him as a state qualifier in the triple jump, earning second place with his effort of 41-7-1/4. Devin just beat out Putnam sophomore Jonathan Wilson, who was also credited with a leap of 41-7-1/4, but lost on second-best mark.

Milwaukie also had a success story in junior Griffin Johnson. Battling mononucleosis for much of the season, Johnson wasnt cleared to return to pole vaulting until the Monday before the district meet. Johnson cleared 12-6 to finish second at district to Sandy junior Kaden Walker.

Milwaukie sophomore Wes Johnson demonstrated potential at district, placing fourth in the triple jump with a PR of 41-4 and leaping a personal best of 19-0-1/2 to finish just out of the running for the finals of the long jump.

Milwaukie (62-1/2 points) and Putnam (32 points) placed fourth and seventh respectively in the district meet girls team scoring; Putnam (67-1/2) and Milwaukie (47) placed sixth and seventh respectively in the district meet boys team scoring.

Wilsonville (190), Liberty (134) and Sherwood (116-1/2) were the top three teams on the girls side. Sandy (145-1/2) and Liberty (108) went one-two in the boys meet.